A few weeks ago we noticed our dogs, Winston and Lincoln, were obsessed with my lavender compress. They kept sniffing it like crazy, so we did a little research and it turns out that many essential oils are not only safe for dogs, but can actually help repel fleas, tics and mosquito.
We feed our dogs all-natural food, but we’ve haven’t been as diligent about researching natural options when it comes to flea control. Something about those pesky buggers and pressure from the veterinarian scares us into purchasing expensive (and often irritating) pharmaceuticals. But it makes sense; plants like lavender, lemongrass, eucalyptus, rosemary, peppermint, cedar and citronella “produce essential oils as their own survival technique to repel bugs. This makes essential oils great insect repellents for animals (and humans, too)*.”
Lavender also has a calming effect (and our crazy puggles can use all the calming-down they can get), so we were very excited to try it. We got a blue glass spray bottle from Whole Foods and combined 10 drops of lavender and 10 drops of peppermint and then filled the spray bottle with water (probably about 3 ounces). We’ve started spraying the pups with the mix before and after they go for a walk or to the park and whenever they get a little stinky. This combo also makes for a great natural air/fabric freshener. So far they seem to like it and smell amazing! It hasn’t been long enough to truly notice the effect on fleas, but I will keep you posted in the coming weeks!
*For more information about essential oils for pets and specific formulas, check out The Whole Dog’s Aromatherapy for Animals page. For more information about essential oils and products for humans, check out Noelle Katai’s Vim Essentials.
